Orchid Project responds to “$1.4bn cost of FGC” findings from WHO

The World Health Organization has released a new “Cost Calculator” to coincide with the International Day to End FGC 2020. New modelling shows that female genital cutting (FGC) has a $1.4 billion USD annual cost to the global economy.

WHO’s findings are based on the cost of treating all resulting medical needs of survivors of the practice. For individual countries, these costs would near 10% of their entire yearly expenditure on health on average; in some countries, this figure rises to as much as 30%.

In response to the release of this important new evidence, Grethe Petersen, CEO of Orchid Project, commented:

WHO’s vital new findings confirm what we already knew about female genital cutting’s far reaching and devastating impacts for girls, women and their communities. But now we have important evidence about the $1.4bn impact on countries’ economies every single year.

These costs make clear that investment to end FGC will result in huge benefit for all. But more resources are needed to accelerate grassroots abandonment of the cut. We must also include neglected regions such as Asia for us to reach the global target of ending the cut by 2030.

Ending the cut will transform millions of girls and women’s lives globally. It has the potential to avert child marriages, keep girls in education longer, and enable greater economic opportunities and empowerment for women.

That’s why Orchid Project has launched the Don’t Cut Her Short campaign today, to encourage public support for a global issue, and accelerate change to end FGC. We can truly transform women’s and girls’ lives for generations.

We ask for your address to enable us to claim Gift Aid. Orchid Project will never share or sell your personal data with any third party for their own marketing purposes, and you will not receive marketing from any other companies, charities or other organisations as a result of giving your details to us.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone

Address

City

Post Code

Country

Comments

Increase your donation

The Gift Aid scheme means that any donations you make to Orchid Project will be worth 25% more at no cost to you. To enable us to reclaim the tax on all your donations in the last four years, and any future donations you make, please confirm that you agree with the following statement.

I want to Gift Aid this donation and any donations I make in the future, or have made in the past 4 years.

I confirm that I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year, it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please notify us if you want to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address, or, if you no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your self-assessment tax return or ask HMRC to adjust your tax code.